Judy,

Unfortunately, that is a question I could not answer up front. Fictitious names, commonly referred to as Trade Names or D.B.A.’s, vary in price state to state, and in some states, county to county.

If you live in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska or Pennsylvania, newspaper publications are required for all D.B.A.’s registered. The newspaper(s) are chosen by the County Clerk (in the county of designation) after the D.B.A. is recognized as active. These fees will vary depending on the county’s publication requirements. (For example, California publications require one article published per week, for 4 consecutive weeks).

Please keep in mind, in many states D.B.A.’s are limited to conducting business in the county of designation. Depending on your business plans, you may want to research your local area (consulting a professional accountant never hurts) to decide if registering a D.B.A. is right for you, or if opening a corporation or LLC would be more practical.

I hope you found this answer helpful.